Somewhere, On a Beach in Greece
by Leo'sMinion
Summary: Sally Jackson's name is written on the sand.


AN: This is for the first week of the PJO Shipweeks! Its a SallyxPoseidon fic. Hope you enjoy!

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Poseidon stared down at the baby in the crib. His cute little baby. His adorable infant. His bundle of joy. His precious little hero who would do so much good for the world and face so many challenges and overcome so many struggles. His teensy tot who- just pooped. Again.

Poseidon sighs and gets the diaper bag back out. When he told Sally that she should go out and enjoy herself for a night while he watched Percy, he didn't expect this. Percy, while extremely cute, playful and lovable, was a difficult baby. He needed a diaper change seemingly every ten minutes, cried if you went out of eyesight, and needed to be burped constantly. Nevertheless, Poseidon loved Percy with all of his heart. If he could change his fate, he would, in a heartbeat, no matter what the consequences.

Percy yawned as Poseidon set him back into the crib.

" Time for bed. " Poseidon cooed at Percy. He tucked him in and gave him his Finding Nemo stuffed animal. Gods, Poseidon hated that movie, but no son of the sea god would have a teddy bear. Poseidon leaned down and gave Percy a kiss. In retaliation, Percy grabbed Poseidon's beard. Poseidon laughed. Percy really was his son.

Poseidon was sitting on the couch when Sally burst in. The door crashed into the wall with a loud bang. Percy stirred with a loud cry, then settled back to sleep. The smell of alcohol followed Sally in. She stumbled and bumped into all the furniture and was clearly inebriated.

" P-p-poseidon! " she shrieked, and drooled a little.

Poseidon _ssshed_ her and got up to help steady her. He guided her towards the couch, and she clung on him like he was her lifesaver buoy. Sally plopped onto the sofa and pulled Poseidon down with her.

" Sally, you should really go to sleep. Your drunk. Do you want me to get you some aspirin? " insisted Poseidon, getting back up.

Sally pulled him down again. She flipped over onto him, sitting on his lap. She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed her lips against his. Poseidon resisted her. He tried to slip her off of him, but she possessed a hold on him that the sober Sally couldn't have had if her life depended of it.

She was suffocating him. Her breath was hot and heavy and the smell of alcohol around her was so thick Poseidon could almost see a cloud. This was not Sally. Sally did not press her hips against him and whisper seductively in his ear. She did not come home too drunk to care for her newborn baby, let alone drunk at all. Sally was not that irresponsible. Sally was a strong, wise, beautiful woman. Sally was not this inebriated mess.

Finally, Posiedon was able to get Sally off of him. She struggled back onto him but he kept her off. At last, she tired out with a sigh and sunk back onto the couch.

Then the crying started.

Sally sobbed, curled in a little ball. She sobbed these gut-wrenching, heart breaking, broken sobs.

" Im sorry! I- " her words were lost in her hyperventilation.

" Oh gods, Sally, " said Poseidon, panicked.

" Im a horrible mother! I can't care for Percy! I can't afford to pay the babysitter but I work three jobs! Some people pity me- I'm a broke mother, with no degree, no husband, and no hope for the future and no hope for protecting Percy! Other people think I'm a loser. And why should they? I'll never be anything other than a big loser. " she continue talking after that, but it was incoherent.

But it was enough.

" Sally. This isn't you. The person your describing isn't you. You, Sally Jackson, are the only woman I've ever truly loved, in all of my immortal years. You, Sally Jackson, are the most resilient, strong, smart, worthy, beautiful, brilliant, caring, warm, compassionate, witty, forgiving person I've ever seen, and an infinite number of other things I can't even put into words.

"You, Sally Jackson, are not your situation. You are not defined by how much luck you've gotten in life. You, I've learned over the years, are defined by how much luck you deserve in life. And you, my dear Sally, are deserving of a grand palace in the sea, with dozens of loyal servants waiting on you hand and foot. And your name, Sally Jackson, will be written in the sand of the most beautiful beach in the world, and nothing, not even the tide, can wash it away because you will make such an impact on the world that nothing, not even the power of the gods, can erase it. " the words spilled out of Poseidon's mouth.

Sally sat up. " Oh, Poseidon, that was so sweet. Your right. I'm being pathetic. Percy and I deserve better than this. " though she was still crying in earnest, she was nearly sober and her words weren't stuck in her mouth. Sally smiled at Poseidon and leaned on his shoulder. Then she blacked out.

Poseidon sat with Sally for a while, stroking her head gently. When the sun started to rise, Poseidon did too. He carried Sally bridal style to her bedroom and lay her down on her bed. When she didn't stir, he went and checked on Percy, who was fine. And, he went and got Sally a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water for the no doubt horrible hangover she'll have in the morning.

Poseidon went back into Sally's room to place the supplies on her bedside table, and she was wide awake. He smiled at her and lowered himself down next to her.

" Poseidon, do you really mean what you said before? All the stuff about me and the palace and the writing on the beach? Did you really mean that? " she asked quietly, like an uncertain child.

" I meant every single word I said. And I promise, one day I'll make it all happen. I love you." with that, Sally closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. Poseidon kissed her forehead and left. He checked on Percy, for what was probably the last time for a very long while.

As Poseidon disappeared into the sea, he snapped his fingers, and somewhere, on a glorious beach in Greece, two words appeared in the sand: Sally Jackson. And nothing, not even the tide, could wash them away.


End file.
